We all love lava cakes, but it isn’t easy to make them yourself as most of the recipes I have tried haven’t given me the perfect result except for the time when I inserted a piece of chocolate in the middle of a chocolate mug cake and got a creamy melted chocolate centre.

Then I came across this recipe of a microwave lava cake where the lava was added after the cake was ready and I knew I had to try it. I know this isn’t what traditional bakers would call a lava cake, but who cares as long as one gets a nice melted chocolaty centre that flows out when you cut it. When there is a foolproof shortcut to something, why go the long way and still not be sure about the result? Let’s check out what’s the trick here. This recipe makes two small cup cakes or a large one.

Ingredients for mug cake

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 2 tablespoons cocoa

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder For chocolate syrup:

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder

Method:

Add all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Now add the egg and oil. Mix well until there are no lumps and it’s a smooth mixture.

Take a small bowl, grease it and dust with some flour. Pour the batter until it is almost half full. Now cook in the microwave for 90 seconds. Take it out and let it cool for five minutes.

Place the cake upside down in a serving plate. Take a small round cutter to make a hole in the centre. I used the top of an icing tool I had. Remove the centre cake piece, cut away the top about an inch thick to later on cover the top of the cake.

Now you have a well in the centre which you will fill up with homemade or store-bought chocolate syrup. Cover the top with the centre cake piece you had taken out earlier. Dust with some cocoa powder and cut out a slice and enjoy your lava cake!

For chocolate syrup: Boil water and add sugar and cocoa. You can also add some chocolate but reduce the quantity of cocoa powder then. Cook on low flame until it thickens. You can also use a chocolate spread like Nutella instead of chocolate syrup.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 1st, 2020